Construction-block.



E. G. NELSON & J. LANDECK.

CONSTRUCTION BLOCK. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, I916.

Patnted Sept. 10,1918.

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.I e. NELSON Ann-Toni: mmincx, or WHAT onnnn, IOWA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 8, 1916. Serial No. 96,214.

- To all whom it may concemr Be it known that we, EMiL G. NELSON andJOHN Lh gnnox, both of whom are citizens of the United States, residingat What Cheer, in the county of Keokuk and State of Iowa, have jointlyinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Construction- Blocks, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had tothe accompanying drawngs, forming a part of thisspecification.

7 Our invention relates to construction blocks,and more specifically toblocks of burnt earthenware for building up hollow cylindrical ortubular structures such as sew ers, drains, silos, etc.

Among the objects of our invention is, to

provide an improved construction block such that a structure built up ofthese blocks would have no continuous longitudinal joint, and such thata conduit constructed of these blocks may be laid up without forms andwithout back filling until the entire conduit has been laid and.accepted by the engineer.

In the drawings, in which one embodiment of our invention is shown;

Figure 1 is an end view of a hollow cylindrical structure built up' ofinterlocking blocks; j

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure;

Fig. 3 is'a perspective view of one of the blocks; and

Fig. 4 is a view of the edge of the block. Referring to the drawings indetail the cylindrical structure 10 is built up of blocks 11 which areexactly alike. with the exception of those at the begiiming and end ofthe structure which must be formed specially in order to bring the edgesof the blocks flush with each other at these points.

- Each of the blocks 11 is curved to conform to the diameter of thestructure which is to be built up andis made hollow being provided withtwo longitudinal passages 12 and 13. The block has two longitudinallyextending ribs 14 extending within the passage 13 the purpose of whichwill appear hereinafter. One edge of the block is provided with a tongue15 which forms a dovetailed joint with a groove 16 at the edge of anadjacent block. The block is cut away along the lines 17 and 18 to forma rentrant angle to receive the corner ofan adjacent block. Thisconstruction results in breaking the joints bothlongitudinafly andtransversely so that there is no continuous joint either longitudinallyor. transversely.

Another edge portion of the block is provided with tapering tongues 19and 20 which engage a corresponding groove 22 in an adacent block toproperly position the blocks Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

with respect to each other and hold them in position. Theblock is cutaway on the line 18 so as to leave a groove 23 along this edge, thewalls of which are a continuation of the walls ofv the passage 13 andthis groove 23 receives a correspondingly shaped tongue on the edge ofan adjacent block. These blocks may be shaped by forcing the material,prefera; ly a clay or clay mixture, in a plastic state out throughforming plates which give to the block'its transverse section, and theseblocks may then be vitrified if desired.

In building up the structure the blocks are placed in posltion byplacing the tongue 15 in position to enter the groove 16 of the blockalready in position and sliding the block into position longitudinallyuntil the tongues 19, 20 enter the groove 22.

Blynbreaking the joints longitudinally the Wea ess of a structure whichhas a continuous longitudinahjoint is avoided, as such structures arelikely to failalong the line of the longitudinal joint.

. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that there are two blocksinterposed longitudinally between blocks having their edges inalinement.

.Because of the dove-tail connection between adjacent blocks and thebreaking of,

the joints longitudinally a conduit of these blocks can be built upwithout forms and without back filling until the entire conduit has beenlaid up and inspected.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A. construction block having an edge.

having a rentrant angle to receive the cor- Her 0 an adjacent block, theedge along one leg of said rentrant angle being grooved .to receive thetongue of an adjacent block, said block having a longitudinallyextending passage therethrough, the walls of said groove beingcontinuous w1th the walls of said passage.

2. A construction block having a reentrant angle on one end, the upperleg of said angle having a tongue and the lower leg being grooved, thesaid block halving a passage extendin therethrough, the walls of saidpassage ein continuous with the walls of said groove, t e said blockhaving a continuous groove on its opposite end and upperadjacent saidangle having a. passage ex tending longitudinally through the saidblock, j l

Inwitnes's whereof we have hereunto subscribed onr, names;

. V EMIL G. NELSON. JOHN LAN DECK.

